Catacombs of Syracuse

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Church of San Giovanni in Syracuse, access to the catacombs on the right, in the background the pilgrimage church of Madonna delle Lacrime .

The catacombs of Syracuse are among the largest of the known catacombs after those in Rome . They are located in the new town of Syracuse in Sicily near the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis and the Archaeological Museum . In order of age, they consist of the Catacombs of Santa Lucia, the Catacombs of Vignia Cassia and the Catacombs of St. John the Evangelist (Italian: Catacombe di San Giovanni).

The catacombs of Santa Lucia

Under the church of Santa Lucia and the former monastery, the catacombs of St. Lucia , whose use began around the year 220. They have a complex three-story structure and are the largest of their kind in Sicily. After the catacombs were no longer used for cemetery purposes, a place of worship was established in them. In the Byzantine oratory there is the fresco of the "40 Martyrs of Sebaste", which is dated to the 8th century. The oratorio was in use until the 13th century. In 1685 the grave of St. Lucia into the octagonal church. Paolo Orsi , namesake of the archaeological museum, carried out extensive archaeological investigations in the catacombs from 1916 to 1919. The catacombs of Santa Lucia have not yet been fully uncovered, but the oratory and part of the catacombs (region A) can be visited as part of a guided tour.

The catacombs of Vigna Cassia

The Vigna Cassia catacombs are divided into three sections. The areas of Santa Maria di Gesù and San Diego emerged from 256 AD, while the Marcia section was not built until the 4th century.

The Santa Maria di Gesù cemetery developed from the extension of an abandoned Hellenistic aqueduct , in the walls of which a number of tombs were carved. Several no longer used water cisterns were converted into small private circular buildings.

The Marcia cemetery is laid out more regularly and therefore dates to a later time when there was no longer any persecution of Christians .

The Catacombs of San Giovanni

These catacombs are the youngest in Syracuse. They emerged from the year 315 around the tomb of Marcian, the first bishop of Syracuse, who died a martyr's death in the middle of the 3rd century . When it was built, a Greek aqueduct along the Decumanus Maximus was extended to the main corridor, from which the secondary galleries branch off. Five rotundas were used to remove the material during construction and then as chapels and to provide light and air. In the 4th century, the first Syracuse cathedral was built over the tomb. The tombs were used until the end of the 5th century. In 1872 the magnificent sarcophagus of Adelphia was discovered. A number of systematic studies were carried out between 1893 and 1919. During the Second World War, the catacombs served as an air raid shelter.

In the catacombs of San Giovanni there are around 10,000 graves, both family graves and community graves, in the walls and floors, sometimes twenty in a row, on an area of ​​around 10,000 square meters. Not much is left of the former wall decorations.

The crypt of St. Marcian

The crypt of St. Marcian is among the remains of the church. The crypt is the oldest church in Syracuse and one of the oldest in Christianity. Inside is a single pillar that is believed to be the site of the martyrdom of Saint Marcian. In the 6th century, the bones were reburied in a niche in which an altar stands; St. Paul is said to have preached at this point .

In the middle of the crypt there are four columns that were erected in the time of the Normans. The capitals show the four evangelists . At that time, the room was given the layout of a Greek cross . On the walls are frescoes that were created from the 5th century.

The churches of San Giovanni

From the 7th century, the church consecrated to John the Evangelist lost the function of the cathedral. It was destroyed by the Arabs when they conquered Syracuse. The Normans built a new church that was destroyed in an earthquake in 1693. The facade with the rose window has been preserved, it formed the side wall of a small church that was rebuilt after the destruction. The church was finally destroyed in the Napoleonic Wars. A staircase leads down to the crypt of St. Marcian.

Sightseeing opportunities

Both the Catacombs of St. Lucia and the Catacombs of St. John can be visited all year round as part of a guided tour. The other catacombs can only be visited with a special permit.

  • Catacombs of Santa Lucia

  • Oratory / Cistern (Santa Lucia)

  • Byzantine fresco (Santa Lucia)

  • Rotonde (Santa Lucia)

  • Arkosolium (San Giovanni)

  • Saint Marcian's crypt

  • Chiesa di San Giovanni

literature

  • Birgit Carnabuci: Sicily. Dumont Art Guide, 6th updated edition 2011, pp. 140–142.
  • Joseph Führer / Victor Schultze : The early Christian tombs of Sicily. Berlin 1907, pp. 17-60, ( digitized version ).
  • Mariarita Sgarlata: S. Giovanni a Siracusa. Catacombe di Rome e d'Italia 8, Città del Vaticano 2004.
  • Pontifical Commission for Christian Archeology, Inspectorate of Siracusa: The Catacombs of Syracuse. Folder for the tour.

Web links

Coordinates: 37 ° 4 ′ 37 ″  N , 15 ° 17 ′ 8 ″  E